Two-piece food-serving apparatus with separable and optionally re-attachable hinge

ABSTRACT

The present invention is a separable two-piece food-serving apparatus with a quick-fit releasable and re-attachable hinge, comprised of an upper carton lid which is rotatably positionable over a lower carton food-serving tray to form a food-enclosing container. The tray has a bottom wall sized, shaped and having sufficient rigidity to be self-supporting when accommodating the weight, shape and typical bottom area of one or more food-items. The bottom wall has one or more adjoining tray side wall extending upward therefrom in a manner which provides a cantilevering support. Preferably the tray is made of a flexible material which accommodates a plurality of bending or flexing cycles and thereby facilitates the eating of food. The tray has hinge-portion tab(s) which, when brought into engagement with the hinge-portion aperture(s) of the lid provide a quick-fit releasable and re-attachable complete hinge. Exterior surfaces of the separable apparatus optionally display discernible content.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention pertains to the field of food-serving apparatus and more particularly relates to two-piece food-serving apparatus comprising a food-serving tray or plate which, when fitted with a quick-fit releasable lid, forms a food-enclosing carton. The invention also pertains to methods for facilitating the rapid assembly, disassembly and option re-assembly of two-piece hinged food-serving cartons.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Numerous efforts have been made to improve food-serving apparatus that enclose one or more food items, such as the paperboard or plastic apparatus commonly referred to as a “clamshell” which consists of an upper casing and a lower casing each having a wall sharing a common hinge. When using such apparatus, the user receives one or more items of a served food in the clamshell and, when seated at an eating location such as a table, then opens the apparatus by rotating the upper casing away from the lower casing via the clamshell hinge. While the clamshell has gained substantial acceptance in the food-service industry, it nonetheless has some significant functional and economic disadvantages. For example, millions of items of food ordered each month from Quick-Serve Restaurants (QSR's), pizzerias, convenience stores and the like, are served in a clamshell carton or container and then given to a food customer who eats the food at the location where the food is ordered. While these venues are designed to serve take-out and/or drive-thru foods, many of the venues are also designed to serve seated customers in which case, providing an entire box or food-encompassing carton is not only unnecessary, it is wasteful and creates an unnecessary business expense which can double food-serving apparatus material and costs for venue seated customers.

The practice of serving any in a variety of types of food, on an open plate, or tray, is also well established. In fact, this food-serving approach is the most common practice found in the finest restaurants, or in pizzerias. For example, in a pizzeria or Italian restaurant, a slice of pizza will typically be presented to a customer on an open plate or tray; or a hamburger, or other sandwich, will be similarly served, or may be fully or partially wrapped in a paper and then placed on a plate, or tray, or may be served in a larger open box for example with accompanying French fries. In such cases the food is not served in a food-enclosing container, carton, box or clamshell. Often, food-serving venues do not want to stock a separate clamshell for take-out customers and a separate plate to serve the same food item(s) to their sit-down customers, so to serve both types of customers, the venue owners purchase the more costly clamshells. One of the reasons this approach has also been necessary is that the upper and lower casings of the clamshells are integrally formed, or joined together during manufacturing, and are: not made to readily be separated; or alternatively made to easily and quickly be assembled when a clamshell apparatus is needed; or, made to easily be re-assembled by a customer when a meal is partially completed and the user wishes to take the food in a re-assembled carton home or to another location. For example, some clamshells do provide a perforated seam at or near the hinge of the apparatus providing a user the option to tear the lid off of the clamshell. However, if the food served in the clamshell is then only partially completed and the customer wishes to transport the food, the lid of the clamshell is then no longer hinged to the apparatus and the customer is unable to form a food-enclosing carton or box out of the two separated pieces. In other words, once the clamshell is torn apart i.e., the upper and lower casing are separated; the apparatus no longer functions as a clamshell carton, container or box.

Clamshells can also be quite bulky and are typically made in a way that requires a customer to lift a served food entirely from the apparatus and to then eat the food in a two-handed manner. The lower casing or tray is often deep which restricts the removal and placement of the food in the casing. With certain foods, such as pizza, this adds messiness to the pizza-eating experience which can actually create an adverse effect on sales. For example, researchers have found that many customers considering the ordering of a QSR meal on impulse, or spontaneously, will opt for another QSR meal because of the messiness often associated with the eating of pizza with two hands i.e., picking up the pizza again and again with one's hands. By providing a separable carton or box, wherein the tray, plate or lower casing portion facilitates a handling and eating of served food in a substantially single-handed manner and/or in a folds-as-you-eat manner, the present invention eliminates the need for the customer to remove food from the tray, plate or lower casing with two hands in order to eat the served food.

In one embodiment of the present invention, and in co-pending food-serving inventions, the minimizing of food handling is addressed, by providing food-serving apparatus which eliminate, or significantly reduce, the need to remove, with one's hands, the served food from a tray, plate or lower casing, and allow a user to eat the food while supported in a bendable or flexible tray.

In the co-pending inventions two types of fold-as-you-eat plates or trays are disclosed. In a first variant of the invention, the tray has side walls with user-breakable joints allowing the user to break the joints at predetermined locations which, in turn, allows the tray or plate to bend downward and away from the served food to facilitate a neater eating experience. In a second variant, the side walls have no breakable joints but instead have reduced cross-sections extending across the height of the walls and then across the tray or plate to predispose the apparatus to bend along the cross-sections to accomplish a similar bending result, but also offer repeatable bending and unbending of the apparatus.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the plate, tray or lower casing portion has no user-breakable joints or reduced cross-sections predisposing the apparatus to bend at one or more predetermined points, and instead, is made of bendable, flexible, paper-based, plastic-based material, metal-based, biodegradable, recyclable, resilient, and materials commonly used in the making food-serving products, containers, cartons, packaging, boxes and clamshells.

Preferably, opposing side walls of the apparatus provide a cantilevering support of an adjoining bottom wall, upon which, food is supported and served. When the user applies sufficient downward force to a forward-extending portion of the plate, the cantilevering support of the side walls is overcome and the plate thereby flexes downward away from the served food to expose forwardmost portions of the food to facilitate eating. By releasing the downward force on the tray, or by the user manually re-shaping the tray in his hands, the plate resumes its un-flexed previous shape and its self-supporting cantilevering, and can easily be set down on a horizontal surface in a manner which prevents the food from coming into contact with unsanitary surfaces. Thus one or more flexing and unflexing cycles of the plate can be achieved to facilitate the eating of served food, and optionally accommodating a plurality of servings. In each variant of the co-pending inventions, and with the foregoing embodiment of the present invention, an improved pizza-eating, or other food-eating experience, is provided wherein little or no contact of the served food is required.

Thus, an improved pizza-eating, or other food-eating, experience is provided that can actually help increase food sales by eliminating or reducing customer concerns about a messiness associated with a particular type of food, and can save up to about half as much in cost when, an enclosing box or carton is not needed and therefore just a tray, plate or lower casing of the apparatus is provided.

Another problem with the prior art clamshells and two-piece food-serving containers, boxes or cartons, is that when a served food is of a type that traditionally requires a customer to sit down and eat the food with two hands, the customer is then, in effect, anchored to a table where the food is served, or within a relatively short distance to the area where the plate, tray or clamshell is located, and consequently there is no, or limited, portability associated with such apparatus and with the eating experiences they provide. In contrast, with the present and co-pending inventions, an unprecedented portability is provided wherein a user can walk in an unconstrained manner, substantially holding and eating served food with one hand, such as a slice of pizza supported in the folds-as-you-eat plate, tray or lowing casing, while alternatively using the remaining hand for one or more other purposes, such as drinking from a beverage can, mug or bottle, or talking on a telephone or cell phone, using a handheld electronic device, or driving a vehicle, and so forth. Another economic advantage is provided wherein the tray, plate or lower casing of the apparatus is quickly fitted with a lid or upper casing as needed allowing for a stacking of a plurality of the apparatus to facilitate an easy carrying of a plurality of servings in one hand. Thus, at an arena, stadium, or outdoor setting such as a ball game, a sporting or other event, a festival, a fair, a concert and the like, a customer, instead of purchasing a single non-stackable food item such as a slice of pizza on an open plate, can make one trip to a concession stand or other food outlet and purchase a plurality of pizza slices which are easily stackable and carried in one hand, leaving the other hand free to purchase and carry one or more beverages. Thus, an entire party or family can be served with a single trip, or minimum number of trips. This is both advantageous for the customer who gets increased convenience, and for the food stand which gets increased food-service sales, particularly with single pizza sales which provide the highest profit margins for pizza.

Another problem with the prior art is the recent introduction and use of such apparatus in public venues having limited, poor or no lighting. For example, a new trend in the food-service industry is the introduction of pizza in movie theaters. However, theaters, for considerable periods of time, have insufficient lighting to see a food-serving apparatus in which one or more items of food are served. It is an object of the present invention to address this problem by providing food-serving apparatus having photoluminscent discernible content on one or more surfaces of the apparatus for the purpose of assisting users in seeing enough of the apparatus, or one or more shapes or outlines thereof, to recognize the orientation of the plate or tray and thereby facilitate eating of the served food in reduced-lighting, poorly lit or unlit environments.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a dual-functionality user-separable food-serving apparatus wherein food served in the tray, plate or lower casing of the carton or box apparatus, provides QSR's, or other food-service entities, the alternatives of: (1) a quick-fit lid or upper casing which, when assembled instantly with a lower casing, tray or plate mentioned above, provides a clamshell-like food-enclosing carton or box as needed; (2) providing the means to quickly reassemble the two parts of the apparatus into a carton when a customer partially completes a meal and wishes to easily transport the food home, or to some other location; or (3) providing only the lower casing, tray or plate to a venue's sit-down customers.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cost-saving food-serving apparatus which, when employed by a food-service venue's sit-down customers, eliminates up to about 50% or more of the material and cost required with conventional clamshells by eliminating the need of the upper casing or lid.

A further object is to provide, as needed, methods for the quick assembly and disassembly of two-piece food-serving apparatus.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus having quick-fit, releasable and re-attachable lids wherein an engagement of forward-extending tabs of a tray engage apertures of the lid to instantly form a functional hinge and rotational lid operation, and wherein the attaching, releasable and re-attachable lid is preferably further comprised of one or more surfaces having discernible content.

Another object of the invention is to provide one or more lid vents wherein the vent(s) are sized and shaped to accommodate high-speed production and are preferably located above the upper edge of any upward extending portion of the apparatus tray when the lid of the apparatus is fastened to the tray.

Other objects and advantages of the invention are presented in the detailed descriptions below and depicted in the accompanying drawings.

Thus, an improved food-serving apparatus which overcomes significant deficiencies and disadvantages in the prior art is provided.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a two-piece food serving apparatus having a lid or upper casing and a tray, plate or lower casing each preferably formed of a single contiguous paper-based, plastic-based, or metal-based material, and in a manner wherein the tray has sufficient rigidity and shape to provide alignment of, and support of, one or more items of food. For the purpose of more easily referring to the two pieces of the invention, the lid or upper casing will hereinafter be referred to as a lid, and the tray, plate or lower casing will hereinafter be referred to as a tray. In one of the embodiments of the invention, the apparatus tray and side wall(s) has a flexibility which allows a user to flex the tray and at least one adjoining upward extending side wall away from a portion of the supported food item(s), thereby exposing an end of the food, so that it is clear of the tray, to facilitate it being eaten. This flexing of the tray allows the served food to be eaten in a manner not requiring the folding, or altering of the normal appearance, of one or more served food item(s).

Preferably the tray and/or lid of the apparatus can be made of material having one or more of the following properties, wherein either is, or both are: recyclable, biodegradable, grease-absorbing, grease resistant, a surface portion consisting of an electronically activated LED or oLED, a corrugated material, transparent, translucent, and opaque. Optionally the material can also be one or more of the following: washable, can be used in an oven, can be used in a microwave oven, can be used in a cooling device such as a refrigerator or freezer.

The apparatus tray has a bottom wall and at least one side wall integrally formed adjacent thereto which extends upward, relative to a food-supporting surface of the bottom wall, and in a manner which provides a cantilevering support and increased rigidity of the bottom wall. For example, trays that are mold or shaped under pressure during manufacturing can have a round, oval, ovoid or triangular shape and have a single contiguous wall extending upward from the outer edge of the bottom wall (not shown in the figures). The side wall(s) is sized, having sufficient rigidity, to facilitate the retention, or alignment, of one or more items of food on the food-supporting member. The side walls may be made having a height that is sufficient for forming a self-contained containment device such as an open-topped box or carton. The bottom wall of the apparatus is bendable or is flexible and preferably made of a material which tolerates a plurality of repeated bending or flexing cycles.

In one embodiment of the two-piece invention both pieces of the apparatus are generally triangular in shape and a forward extending end of the lid is first slid to engage into a hinged orientation with a forward extending end of the tray, then the rear end of the lid rotates into a food-encasing position and the lid is secured to the tray by one or more fastening means. The geometry of the two inter-fitting triangular pieces provides a simple self-alignment or registration of the two components. During the assembly steps, a lower edge of the lid front wall is preferably slid upon a flat upper surface of a table or counter in a longitudinal direction toward the forward extending end of a tray resting on the same surface, or a tray held in position by one or more digits of a user's hand. As the lid is moved longitudinally toward the tray, a lower edge of the rear end of the tray is rotated by the user to a position which clears the height of the rear portion of the tray. As the two pieces come together, the outer surfaces of the side walls of the tray interfit and self-align as they make contact with the inner surfaces of the side walls of the lid. Each side wall of the tray has a forward-extending tab formed, die-cut or otherwise manufactured adjacent to an end thereof at a height when the tray is resting on the table surface, to be in alignment with the height of two corresponding apertures located adjacent to outer edges of the lid front wall, which, upon the completion of the longitudinal sliding of the lid instantly provides a tab-hinged lidded tray. Thus, a self-registrating 2-axis alignment of the lid to the tray is provided automatically as the lid is moved closer to the tray wherein, the outer walls of the tray interacting with the inner walls of the lid to provide a horizontal axis alignment, and the lower edge of the front of the lid sliding on the surface of a table, or other flat surface, which the tray is also resting on, provide a vertical axis alignment.

Preferably at least one rear portion of the apparatus has a fastening means to releasably secure the lid to the tray in a food-enclosing box or carton-forming manner. The fastening means can include any one or more in a variety of fastening means used on containers, cartons, boxes, clamshells, food packaging and the like. Thus, the invention also provides a method whereby its two components are quickly aligned or registered during assembly steps, in two axes e.g., a vertical axis and a horizontal axis.

In another embodiment of the invention the apparatus lid and/or tray can be further equipped with one or more surface areas or border, boundary or perimeter portions having a glow-in-the-dark, or photoluminescent, material or discernible content, wherein the orientation of the handheld apparatus two-piece container or tray can easily be discerned in venues, environments or settings having little, poor or no lighting.

In any of the embodiments of the invention the apparatus lid and/or tray can be further equipped with one or more surface areas or border, boundary or perimeter portions having any one or more types of discernible content.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A and 1B are three-dimensional depictions showing a series of two figures wherein a lid, having two apertures, is moved from the position seen in FIG. 1A by a longitudinal distance represented by “Y” to a tray or lower casing tab-engaging position depicted in FIG. 1B.

FIG. 2 is a side view of an embodiment of the invention wherein a side view of a food-serving tray contained within the lid or upper casing is depicted in a dashed-line outline and one of two forward-extending tabs of the tray is shown extending through one of two forward lid apertures to create a lid hinge. A side wall of the lid is shown having an optional aperture vent shaped for high-speed production depicted above the side wall of the tray at approximately a mid point of the tray side wall.

FIG. 3 depicts a front view of the apparatus seen in FIG. 2 wherein the two forward-extending tabs of the tray are shown extending through two forward lid apertures to create a self-aligning hinge between the tray and lid components.

FIG. 4 depicts a rear view of the apparatus seen in FIG. 2, wherein a rear portion of the apparatus is shown having a fastening means.

FIGS. 5A through 5C are a series of top views of an embodiment of the invention wherein the top view figures above the extended horizontal dashed line correspond to respective FIGS. 6A through 6C of the side views of the apparatus in FIGS. 5A through 5C. Vertical dashed lines extending upward from FIGS. 6A-6C to FIGS. 5A-5C respectively, depict a “Y” longitudinal distance that a lid or upper casing is moved so that its two forward lid apertures will engage two corresponding forward-extending tabs of the tray creating a self-aligning hinge between the tray and lid components. FIG. 6B depicts an “R” rotational distance that the lower rear portion of the lid or upper casing must travel to enclose the apparatus as depicted in FIG. 6C.

FIGS. 7A through 7C are a series of top views of an alternatively shaped embodiment of the invention wherein the top view figures above the extended horizontal dashed line correspond to respective FIGS. 8A through 8C of the side views of the apparatus in FIGS. 7A through 7C. Vertical dashed lines extending upward from FIGS. 8A-8C to FIGS. 7A-7C respectively, depict a “Y” longitudinal distance that a lid or upper casing is moved so that its two forward lid apertures will engage two corresponding forward-extending tabs of the tray creating a self-aligning hinge between the tray and lid components. FIG. 8B depicts an “R” rotational distance that the lower rear portion of the lid or upper casing must travel to enclose the apparatus as depicted in FIG. 8C.

FIGS. 9A and 9B are bottom views of an embodiment of the invention wherein a fastening means positioned at a rearward location of the apparatus serves to releasably engage the apparatus.

FIGS. 10A and 10B are partial side views showing close-up details of a front portion of the apparatus depicted in FIG. 2 wherein a forward extending tab located at an end of a side wall of a food-serving plate, tray or lower casing is engaged by a forward lid aperture when a lower edge of a lid front wall is moved along a horizontal surface in the direction of the arrows of FIG. 10A by a “Y” longitudinal distance depicted in FIG. 10B.

FIG. 11 is a three-dimensional view similar to FIG. 1A wherein a forward extending portion of an optional tray upper locking tab engages a lid rear upper portion to provide a quick-fit/quick-release apparatus fastening means for releasably securing the lid or upper casing to the tray, plate or lower casing thereby forming a food-encasing carton, box or container which can be quickly disassembled for serving or eating served food, or quickly reassembled to transport served food.

FIG. 12 depicts a front view of an embodiment of the apparatus depicted in the three-dimensional depiction of FIG. 15 wherein two rearward-extending tabs of the tray are shown extending through two rearward lid apertures to create a quick-engaging fastening means between the tray and lid components.

FIG. 13 depicts a rear view of an embodiment of the apparatus depicted in the three-dimensional depiction of FIG. 15 wherein two rearward-extending tabs of the tray are shown extending through two rearward lid apertures to create a quick-engaging fastening means between the tray and lid components.

FIGS. 14A through 14C are a series of partial side views of a rear portion of the embodiment of the apparatus depicted in FIGS. 12 and 13 wherein rear wall portions of the apparatus lid or upper casing are made to flex and have apertures for engagement with respective rearward extending tray tabs. FIGS. 14A-14C respectively, depict an “R” distance that a lid or upper casing is rotationally moved so that two rearward lid apertures will engage two corresponding rearward-extending tabs of the tray to creating a quick-lock releasable engagement between the tray and lid components. FIGS. 14A and 14B depict an “R” rotational distance that the lower rear portion of the lid or upper casing must travel to enclose the apparatus as depicted in FIG. 14C.

FIGS. 15 and 16 are three-dimensional depictions of the apparatus embodiment referred to above. In FIG. 15, the outer lower ends of a lid or upper casing rear wall are equipped with rear-tab release-flanges which, when pulled backward cause a flexing of a rear wall portion such that respective rear tab-engaging apertures are moved away from the rearward extending tabs of the enclosed tray, plate or lower casing. FIG. 16 also depicts an embodiment of the invention wherein one or more apparatus surfaces or outlines (shown in dashed lines) includes photoluminescent discernible content to assist a user in seeing the orientation of the apparatus when used in a limited-light environment.

FIG. 17 is a three-dimensional depiction of the tray, plate or lower casing having one or more surfaces or outlines (shown in dashed lines) can include photoluninescent material to assist a user in seeing the orientation of the apparatus when used in a limited, poor or no light environment.

FIG. 18 is a three-dimensional depiction of a tray, plate or lower casing made of one or more flexible or resilient materials such that a cantilevering support provided by the side walls of the tray is overcome when a user positions a forward extending portion of the tray downward. Conversely, the flexible tray is positionable by a user to a previous shape when a user positions a forward extending portion of the tray upward. Optionally, the flexible tray can have one or more surfaces or outlines (shown in dashed lines) which includes photoluminescent material to assist a user in seeing the orientation of the tray when used in an environment or setting having limited, poor or no lighting.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to the drawings, a preferred embodiment of the invention is depicted in FIGS. 1A and 1B wherein a separable two-piece food-serving apparatus 10 having an apertured lid 12 or upper casing is comprised of a lid upper wall 30, a lid rear wall 28, a lid first side wall 18, a lid second side wall 20, and a lid front wall 22, wherein at least one wall has at least one partial-hinge aperture sized and shaped to receive an outwardly-extending partial-hinge tab of the apparatus tray. Optionally, a lid high-speed production vent is included in one or more sides of the lid and is sized and shaped to provide for high-speed package production when the apparatus is made of a paper-based material. For optimum venting and aesthetic purposes the vent(s) 40 are preferably located at a height on the side wall(s) wherein a lower edge of the vent is higher than the upper edge of the wall(s) when the lid 12 is rotated to a lowest position.

Preferably the present invention also provides a method for the self-alignment of the two pieces of the apparatus in two axes, when the two separated pieces are assembled together. During assembly a sequence of steps are taken with the following elements to achieve the two-axis self-alignment. Front wall 22 has a first partial-hinge aperture 14 and a second partial-hinge aperture 16 each located at a height in vertical-axis registration with the height of forward-extending first partial-hinge tab 44 and second partial-hinge tab 46 respectively. During the self-aligning assembly of the two-piece apparatus, a lid front wall lower edge 24 is slid a longitudinal distance 26 (the distance represented by “Y”) on a flat surface 68 such as a counter top or upper surface of a table. While lower edge 24 is being slid longitudinal distance 26 (Y) on the flat surface 68, the user keeps a lower rear portion of the lid above the height of a rear upper portion of the tray 42. Simultaneously, a horizontal-axis registration of the lid 12 is also provided as the outward-facing surfaces of the tray wall(s) make contact with the inward-facing surfaces of the lid wall(s). The horizontal-axis registration is optimized by the employment of a substantially triangular shaped lid and tray in that the geometry of a triangle tray end exterior coming into registration with a triangular lid end interior progresses from a greater horizontal clearance to a lesser horizontal clearance as the lid is moved along the longitudinal axis. Thus, a dual-axis self-aligning feature is provided such that one or more partial-hinge tabs are automatically engaged into a respective number of partial-hinge apertures to instantly form a releasable and re-attachable hinge at a lower front edge of the apparatus. Following the formation of the hinge as shown in FIG. 1B, the user then rotates a rear portion of the lid 12 to a lowest point over the tray 42 as shown in FIGS. 24, 5C, 6C, 7C, 8C, 11-13, 15 and 16, and preferably secures the lid 12 to the tray 42 by employing one or more optional fastening means 62, for example, a fastening means shown in FIGS. 2, 5A-8C, 9A-9B, 11-13, 14A-14C, 15-16 and so on.

To instantly disengage the formed hinge, the user simply rotates upward the rear end of the lid 12 and moves the lid forward, relative to the tray 42, to disengage the partial-hinge aperture(s) from the forward-extending partial-hinge tab(s). If the user wishes to reassemble the lid to the tray, for example, in order to transport one or partially consumed food-items to another location, the food-serving carton can be instantly re-assembled according to the steps of the method described above.

In another embodiment of the apparatus, the front wall lower edge 24 is foldably connected with a leading edge of the tray (not shown) to form a hinge and fold-line, wherein the latter is further comprised of a user-tearable seam. To instantly disengage the hinge, the user simply rotates upward the rear end of the lid 12 and separates the lid 12 from the tray 42 by tearing the seam.

In FIGS. 1A and 1B, 2-4, 5A-8C, 11-13 and 15-18, the tray 42 is depicted having a bottom wall 54 with outer edges having a first side wall 48, a second side wall 50, and a rear wall 52 each wall extending upward therefrom. Optionally, the tray can also have a front wall 66 as depicted in FIGS. 7A-7C and/or an optional tray upper locking tab 64 which serves as part of a fastening means when engaged in one or more lid slots 70 as seen in FIG. 11.

It is noted that while FIGS. 1A and 1B depict a triangularly-shaped apparatus having separate walls defined by sharp corners, that any in a variety of apparatus shapes can alternatively be employed instead, including apparatus having rounded corners such that the side wall of the lid appears as one continuous wall instead of separate walls.

Apparatus sizes and shapes may include, but are not limited to: round, or elliptical, or square, or rectangular, or oval, symmetrical or asymmetrical shapes, and the like. The apparatus is preferably sized and shaped to the size and perimeter-shape of food intended to be served thereon. The tray 42, with its one or more cantilevering adjoining walls, has sufficient rigidity and is self-supporting when supporting the weight and normal bottom area of one or more food-items placed on an upper surface of tray bottom wall 54, including, but not limited to, when serving one or more of the following types of food: pizza slice(s) or smaller whole pizzas, fruit portion(s), watermelon slice(s), melon slice(s), pie slice(s), ice cream sandwich(es) or other value-added ice creams, quiche, hash browns, hamburger(s), hot dog(s), Hoagie's, submarine sandwich(es), French dip sandwich(es), sandwich(es), burrito(s), quesadilla(s), waffle(s), chicken filet(s), chicken strip(s), chicken portion(s), poultry portion, fish filet(s) or other fish portion, ‘finger food(s)’, hors douvre(s), dessert(s), and so forth.

Additionally, the tray 42 of the apparatus 10 is preferably made of a flexible material which allows the tray, as previously described, to be bent and unbent by a user one or more times. FIGS. 17 and 18 depict a triangular-shaped embodiment of the apparatus tray in a user-unbent condition (FIG. 17) and in a user-bent condition (FIG. 18). In the latter figure, a user will apply sufficient downward force adjacent to the upper surface of a forward-extending portion of the tray 42 until the cantilevering support provided by tray first side wall 48 and tray second side wall 50 is overcome. Preferably the tray flexible material is such that when a downward bending force is no longer applied by a user, the tray tends to return substantially to its former shape as seen in FIG. 17, or can be re-formed by the user manually raising the forward-extending portion of the tray 42 and/or by a user re-creasing the seam between the tray bottom wall and one or more side walls, until much or all of the cantilevering support provided by tray first side wall 48 and tray second side wall 50 (or a single continuous side wall, not shown) is regained.

The apparatus 10 can be made out of a wide range of materials such as materials including but not limited to: materials suitable for use in a dishwasher, a refrigeration device, a heating device, a microwave oven, a combination microwave and conventional oven, a convection oven, material which can tolerate multiple bending cycles, multiple washing cycles, materials that are recycled and/or biodegradable. The apparatus 10 can be made out of a paper-based material, or one or more flexible metals or plastics, and the like. Portions of the apparatus can also include other, or combinations of materials. As previously mentioned, the apparatus 10 can be made in a variety of shapes including but not limited to shapes that are round, rectangular, trapezoidal, triangular, elliptical, oval, ovoidal, multi-sided, asymmetrical, and the like. For example, when an apparatus is triangular in shape it can serve food selected from the group consisting of triangular shaped foods such as pizza, pie, dessert, and quiche. When the apparatus is substantially semi-circular in shape it can accommodate the serving of food selected from the group consisting of tacos, calzones, hamburgers, sandwiches and pita sandwiches. The apparatus can also be shaped to slideably fit into, and be easily removed from, a food dispensing compartment of a vending machine. The apparatus may also have angled corners or rounded corners and when being formed integrally of a material such as an injectable or formable plastic or paper-pulp or other material, can have a single side wall formed around a majority perimeter of the tray and/or lid, such that a single wall extending downward from the edge of the lid upper wall, or extending upward from the edge of the tray bottom wall are possible.

FIGS. 2-4 depict side, front and rear views respectively of the embodiment of the apparatus depicted in FIGS. 1A-1B. In co-pending patent applications, a tray rear wall, extending upwardly from a rear portion of a tray, has an upper edge with a tab foldably connected thereto. In the first co-pending patent application, the tab provides a neater food-eating alternative whereby one or more served food-items is grasped between a lower surface portion of the tab and an upper surface portion of the tray bottom to eliminate the need of the user having to hold food which is typically held in one's hand(s). In the second patent application, the tab includes one or more upper surfaces which provide user and/or observer discernible content. Optionally, in the present invention, a tray upper locking tab 64 is provided which is foldably connected to an upper edge of the tray rear wall 52, and, as depicted in FIG. 11 serves as part of a fastening means having one or more forward extending portions which are insertable into one or more lid slots 70 to secure the lid 12 to the tray 42. It is noted that by equipping one or more side walls of the trays of the co-pending patent applications with any of the outward-extending tabs described herein, that the lid of the present invention can thereby be retro-fitted to those trays.

As previously mentioned, FIGS. 5A-5C, above the horizontal dash-line extending beneath all three figures, are top views of the apparatus corresponding to the respective side views of the apparatus depicted in 6A-6C. Similarly, FIGS. 7A-7C, above the horizontal dash-line extending beneath all three figures, are top views of a differently shaped apparatus corresponding to the respective side views of the same shaped apparatus depicted in 8A-8C. FIGS. 5A and 6A, and FIGS. 7A and 8A, are views representing the orientation of the lid 12 to the tray 42 before the lid is moved longitudinal distance 26 (Y). In FIGS. 5B and 6B, and FIGS. 7B and 8B, lid 12 has been moved longitudinal distance 26 (Y), so that when the lid is fully rotated downward in rotational direction “R” the lid encases tray 42 as seen in FIGS. 6C and 8C. The reference characters of FIGS. 5A through 8C correspond to apparatus reference characters previously detailed.

Thus apparatus are provided wherein a rotatable, releasable and/or re-attachable lid is pivotably connected according to the previously described hinge means, such that when the lid is removed from the tray, separate food-serving tray functionality is provided. The present invention optionally further includes, the employment of one or more apparatus surfaces of the rotatable, releasable and/or re-attachable lid having discernible content thereon. For example, the discernible content can be from any one or more of a group consisting of: indicia, indicia having a plurality of sizes, text, right-reading text, right-side up content, pictorial content, user-readable content, printed instructions in at least one language pertaining to at least one function of said apparatus, markings indicating at least one functional fold line of said apparatus, advertisements, promotional announcements, cross-promotional announcements, coupons, tear off coupons, removable peel-off members having discernible content thereon, scratch-off materials, discernible content which is revealed when said scratch-off materials are removed, characters from the Braille alphanumeric system, names of organizations, names of learning institutions, brand names, logos, subject matter pertaining to entertainment events, subject matter pertaining to parties, subject matter pertaining to celebrations, subject matter pertaining to holidays, advertisements for films, names of well-known persons, the likeness of well-known persons, the likeness of well-known engine-powered vehicles, names of travel-related facilities, names of facilities employed for sports-related activities, names of recreational facilities, names of restaurant chains, names of amusement parks, subject matter pertaining to events attended by large audiences, codes users can enter into data-entry fields at websites, codes users can enter into a data-entry field at websites to enter contests, prize announcements, codes users can enter into a data-entry field of software applications, codes readable by optical scanning devices, and removable mail-in codes, and so on.

In FIGS. 9A and 9B bottom views of an embodiment of the apparatus 10 are depicted wherein a typical fastening means 62 positioned at a rearward location of the apparatus serves to releasably the lid of the apparatus to the tray. In FIG. 9A a typical food-serving carton fastening means tab is provided for insertion into a tab-receiving slot and is shown after being inserted in the depiction of FIG. 9B. It is noted that alternatively, any one or more in a variety of fastening means can be employed for the purpose of releasably securing the apparatus lid 12 to the tray 42, including the employment of a rear lid tab which extends rearward beyond and over the upper edge of the lid rear wall to engage a sufficiently sized horizontally oriented tab-receiving aperture or slot located at an upper end of a tray rear wall (not shown).

In FIGS. 10A and 10B partial side views of an embodiment of the apparatus are depicted showing close up details of a front portion of the apparatus depicted in FIG. 2 wherein a forward extending partial-hinge second tab 46 is located at an end of a tray second side wall 50 which engages a lid second partial-hinge aperture 16 preferably when a lid front wall lower edge 24 is moved along a horizontal surface 68 in the direction of the arrows of FIG. 10A by a “Y” longitudinal distance 26 depicted in FIG. 10B. When the partial-hinge parts are engaged as depicted in FIG. 10B, the lid 12 is rotatable to encase and be secured to the tray 42, or can be quickly rotated from an encasing position and easily separated from the tray.

In FIG. 11, a three-dimensional view similar to FIG. 1A is depicted wherein a forward extending portion of an optional tray upper locking tab 64 is provided as a partial fastening means. In one approach, the locking tab 64 is sized and shaped to engage one or more lid slots 70 located at a lid rear upper portion, thus providing an alternative quick-fit/quick-release apparatus fastening means 62 for releasably securing the lid to the tray, and thereby forming a food-encasing carton, box or container which can be quickly disassembled for serving or eating served food, or quickly re-assembled to transport served food or partially-consumed food to another location. In a second approach, a lower surface of tab with an adhesive material or be equipped with a removable strip which reveals an adhesive material, and in either case, a lower surface of tab 64 can then be temporarily adhered to an upper rear portion of lid 12.

FIG. 12 through 14C depict views of an embodiment of the apparatus having one or more rear portions with automatic fastening means that are engaged when the apparatus lid 12 is rotated to a tray encasing position. FIG. 12 is a front view, and FIG. 13 is a rear view of the apparatus. In this embodiment, one or more tray walls also have a rearward or outward extending tab for engaging respective apertures located in one or more rear portions of the lid e.g., rear wall 28, or alternatively located at another rear end portion of a lid side wall (not shown). For example, in the partial side views of FIGS. 14A-14C, a rear end of lid 12 is rotated in direction “R” from the position shown in FIG. 14A to 14B and then 14C. In 14B, a flexible portion of the lid rear wall 28 flexes outwardly when contacted by an end of tray second rear tab 78 of wall 50 such that a lid second rear aperture 74 is engaged by the tab when the lid 12 is rotated to a lowest position as shown in FIG. 14C. To quickly release the tab(s) a user can selectively apply an outward force to one or more rear-tab release flanges 80 depicted in FIGS. 12, 13, 15 and 16 which, in turn, causes the flexible portion of lid rear wall 28 and the aperture located in that portion to clear the end of its respective engaging tab such that the lid can be raised and/or removed. Thus, the apparatus includes embodiments wherein a tray can be equipped with one to four outwardly extending tabs and each of which engages a respective aperture. For example, the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 12 through 16, a user can instantly engage the hinge tabs at one end of the apparatus then rotate the lid of the apparatus to a closed and instantly locking condition, wherein the locking means is also instantly releasable via release-flange(s) 80, or instantly re-engagable.

Alternatively, the front of the apparatus can also be equipped with one or more flexible front wall portions equipped with the locking apertures, such that a user can engage the front and rear parts of the apparatus in the manner just described for the rear portion. Thus, a user can assemble an embodiment of the apparatus by simply pushing straight down on the lid when the lid is aligned over the tray, whereby respective tab-engaging apertures located at opposite ends of the lid engage tray outward-extending tabs located at opposite ends of the tray, and disassembly of the two-piece apparatus is accomplished in the manner described in reference to FIG. 14C.

FIGS. 15 and 16 are three-dimensional depictions of the apparatus. In FIG. 15, the outer lower ends of a lid rear wall 28 are equipped with rear-tab release-flanges 80 which, when pulled in an outward direction cause a flexing of a rear wall portion such that respective rear tab-engaging apertures are moved away from the rearward extending tabs of the enclosed tray. FIGS. 16-18 depict embodiments of the invention wherein one or more apparatus surfaces or outlines 60 (shown in dashed lines) include photoluminescent discernible content to assist a user in seeing the orientation of the apparatus when used in a limited light, or poor light, or no light environment. For example, an apparatus lid 12 can be equipped with photoluminescent material as seen in FIG. 16, and a tray 42 can be similarly equipped as depicted in FIG. 17. Optionally, the tray 42 is made of a flexible material and preferably accommodates a plurality of bending and unbending cycles. In FIG. 18 interior surfaces of a first side wall 48 and a second side wall 50 optionally include photoluminescent discernible content such as one or more surfaces or outlines 60 (shown in dashed lines) to assist a user, when the tray used in a limited-light environment, in seeing the orientation of the tray before, during and after, one or more tray bending cycles. By optionally including the photoluminescent material on the inward-facing walls, a perimeter portion of the tray will be outlined or highlighted as the tray is flexed by a downward force applied by a user, and the cantilevering of the side walls 48 and 50 is overcome, causing the side walls to splay outward. When the tray 42 is returned to a position similar to that of tray 42 shown in FIG. 17 using any of the steps previously described, outward-facing sides walls 48 and 50 having photoluminescent discernible content thereon, assists a user in seeing the orientation of the side walls of the tray when the tray is used in a limited-light, or poor light, or no light environment.

Thus, a two-piece food-serving apparatus 10 comprising a tray 42 or lower casing and a releasable and/or re-attachable hinged lid 12 or upper casing is provided, preferably also having a quick-fit releasable and re-attachable hinge which is formed of at least one outwardly-extending partial-hinge tray tab sized and shaped for engagement into at least one partial-hinge lid aperture. The apparatus 10 comprises an upper carton lid 12 which is rotatably positionable over a lower carton food-serving tray 42 to form a food and tray-enclosing carton.

The apparatus is made of a material suitable for food-serving purposes with the lid 12 comprised of an upper wall 30 having at least one perimeter edge with at least one adjoining lid side wall extending downward therefrom to form an enclosing lid wall around an outer perimeter of the tray 42 when the lid is rotated to a lowest position over the tray. The tray 42 is comprised of a bottom wall 54 sized, shaped and having sufficient rigidity to be self-supporting and accommodating of the weight, shape and typical bottom area of at least one food-item intended to be served thereon. At least one outer edge of the bottom wall 54 has at least one adjoining tray side wall extending upward therefrom in a manner which provides a cantilevering support of the bottom wall, and wherein inward-facing surfaces of the tray side wall(s) provide food alignment means for food-item(s) served on an upper surface of the bottom wall 54. Outward-facing surfaces of the tray side wall(s) provide lid alignment means, and one or more adjoining side wall(s) of the tray have at least one hinge-portion tab whereby the tab(s) of the tray when brought into engagement with the hinge-portion aperture(s) of the lid provide quick-fit releasable and re-attachable hinge means.

Optionally, the separable two-piece food-serving apparatus 10 can be made further comprising at least one carton fastening means 62 located at an apparatus end opposite of said hinge, whereby said fastening means releasably secures said lid to said tray. The fastening means consists of a type of carton fastening means used on commercially available food-serving apparatus and food-serving packaging.

Preferably the tray 42 of the apparatus is made of a flexible material which accommodates a plurality of bending and unbending cycles, and when the tray is separated from the lid at the apparatus hinge, and is serving said at least one food-item(s), the cantilevering support of the bottom wall 54 is provided by one or more tray side wall(s) is overcome by a user providing sufficient downward force on an forward extending portion of the tray, whereby the force flexes the tray downward to expose at least one forward extending portion of the food-item(s) to facilitate the eating of the newly exposed/extending food, and when the force is released the tray bottom wall 54 and side wall(s) can flex back, due to a resilience of the material, and/or manually be positioned back, to a substantially unflexed position.

Although the present invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example, and changes in detail or structure may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention in the previous descriptions or as defined in the appended claims. 

1. A separable two-piece food-serving apparatus with a quick-fit releasable and re-attachable hinge, said apparatus comprising: an upper carton lid which is rotatably positionable over a lower carton food-serving tray to form a food-enclosing carton; said apparatus is made of a material suitable for food-serving purposes; said lid having an upper wall having at least one perimeter edge with at least one adjoining lid side wall extending downward therefrom to form an enclosing lid wall around an outer perimeter of said tray when said lid is rotated to a lowest position over said tray, and said lid having at least one hinge-portion aperture; said tray having a bottom wall sized, shaped and having sufficient rigidity to be self-supporting when accommodating the weight, shape and typical bottom area of at least one food-item intended to be served thereon, and at least one outer edge of said bottom wall having at least one adjoining tray side wall extending upward therefrom in a manner which provides a cantilevering support of said bottom wall, and wherein inward-facing surfaces of said tray side wall(s) provide food alignment means for said food-item(s) served on an upper surface of said bottom wall, and outward-facing surfaces of said tray side wall(s) provide lid alignment means when said lid is slid longitudinally onto said tray, and said at least one adjoining side wall(s) of said tray having at least one hinge-portion tab; whereby said hinge-portion tab(s) of said tray when brought into engagement with said hinge-portion aperture(s) of said lid provide said quick-fit releasable and re-attachable hinge.
 2. The separable two-piece food-serving apparatus of claim 1 further comprising at least one carton fastening means located at an apparatus end opposite of said hinge, whereby said fastening means releasably secures said lid to said tray.
 3. The separable two-piece food-serving apparatus of claim 1 wherein said fastening means consists of a type of carton fastening means used on commercially available food-serving apparatus.
 4. The separable two-piece food-serving apparatus of claim 1 further comprising said tray being made of a flexible material which accommodates a plurality of bending and unbending cycles, wherein when said tray is separated from said lid at said hinge and is serving said at least one food-item(s), said cantilevering support of said bottom wall provided by said tray side wall(s) is overcome by a user providing sufficient downward force on an forward extending portion of said tray, whereby said downward force flexes the tray downward to expose at least one forward extending portion of said food-item(s) to facilitate the eating of the exposed food, and when said force is released said tray bottom wall and side wall(s) is returnable to a substantially unflexed position.
 5. The separable two-piece food-serving apparatus of claim 1 further comprising two-axis self-alignment apparatus assembly means, wherein a.) said apparatus is substantially triangular in shape and triangular geometry of said lid and said tray provides self-alignment in a horizontal axis between at least one aperture of the lid and at least one outward extending tab of the tray as the lid is slid longitudinally onto said tray, and b.) a vertical axis alignment between said at least one aperture of the lid and said at least one outward extending tab of the tray is provided by sliding a lower edge of at least one lid side wall along a flat surface supporting said tray.
 6. The separable two-piece food-serving apparatus of claim 1 further comprising material wherein said material is from one or more of the group consisting of bendable, flexible, paper-based, plastic-based material, metal-based, biodegradable, recyclable, resilient, grease-resistant, grease-absorbing, temperature-indicating, electronically activated LED, electronically activated oLED, pixelated, holographic, corrugated, transparent, translucent, opaque, commercially available materials employed in the making food-serving products, containers, cartons, packaging, boxes and clamshells, material which tolerates multiple bending cycles, and material which tolerates multiple washing cycles.
 7. The separable two-piece food-serving apparatus of claim 1 further comprising material wherein said material is from the group consisting of materials suitable for use in: a dishwasher, a refrigeration device, a heating device, a microwave oven, a combination microwave oven and conventional oven, a convection oven.
 8. The separable two-piece food-serving apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an apparatus shape wherein said shape is from the group consisting of round, semi-circular, rectangular, trapezoidal, triangular, elliptical, oval, ovoidal, multi-sided, symmetrical and asymmetrical.
 9. The separable two-piece food-serving apparatus of claim 1 wherein said tray is further comprised of material sized and shaped and having sufficient rigidity to support at least one or more food items from the group consisting of: pizza slice(s) or smaller whole pizzas, fruit portion(s), watermelon slice(s), melon slice(s), pie slice(s), ice cream sandwich(es) or other value-added ice creams, quiche, hash browns, hamburger(s), hot dog(s), Hoagie's, submarine sandwich(es), French dip sandwich(es), sandwich(es), pita sandwich(es), burrito(s), quesadilla(s), waffle(s), chicken filet(s), chicken strip(s), chicken portion(s), poultry portion, fish filet(s) or other fish portion, ‘finger food(s)’, taco(s), calzone(s), hors douvre(s), and dessert(s).
 10. The separable two-piece food-serving apparatus of claim 1 further comprising discernible content wherein said content is one or more of a group consisting of: indicia, indicia having a plurality of sizes, text, right-reading text, right-side up content, pictorial content, user-readable content, printed instructions in at least one language pertaining to at least one function of said apparatus, photoluminscent discernible content, markings indicating at least one functional fold line of said apparatus, advertisements, promotional announcements, cross-promotional announcements, coupons, tear off coupons, removable peel-off members having discernible content thereon, scratch-off materials, discernible content which is revealed when said scratch-off materials are removed, characters from the Braille alphanumeric system, names of organizations, names of learning institutions, brand names, logos, subject matter pertaining to entertainment events, subject matter pertaining to parties, subject matter pertaining to celebrations, subject matter pertaining to holidays, advertisements for films, names of well-known persons, the likeness of well-known persons, the likeness of well-known engine-powered vehicles, names of travel-related facilities, names of facilities employed for sports-related activities, names of recreational facilities, names of restaurant chains, names of amusement parks, subject matter pertaining to events attended by large audiences, codes users can enter into data-entry fields at websites, codes users can enter into a data-entry field at websites to enter contests, prize announcements, codes users can enter into a data-entry field of software applications, codes readable by optical scanning devices, and removable mail-in codes
 11. The separable two-piece food-serving apparatus of claim 1 further comprising at least one vent aperture sized and shaped to facilitate high-speed production die-cutting of said lid, wherein said vent aperture is located adjacent to a side wall of said lid and above an upper edge of a side wall of said tray when said lid is rotated to a lowest position over said tray.
 12. The separable two-piece food-serving apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a flexible material which tolerates a plurality of flexing cycles wherein said cantilevering of said side wall(s) is overcome by a user applying a downward force to an outward extending portion of the tray, and the flexibility of said material is sufficient to return the tray to a substantially unflexed condition when said downward force is released.
 13. The separable two-piece food-serving apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a flexible material which tolerates a plurality of flexing cycles wherein said cantilevering of said side wall(s) is overcome by a user applying a downward force to an outward extending portion of the tray, and the flexibility of said material is sufficient to return the tray to a substantially unflexed condition by a user applying an upward force to an outward extending portion of the tray.
 14. The separable two-piece food-serving apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a flexible material which tolerates a plurality of flexing cycles wherein said cantilevering of said side wall(s) is overcome by a user applying a downward force to an outward extending portion of the tray, and the flexibility of said material is sufficient to return the tray to a substantially unflexed condition by a user manually re-shaping the tray in his hands.
 15. The separable two-piece food-serving apparatus of claim 1 further comprising photoluminscent discernible content on at least one surface area of the apparatus, whereby said content assists a user in recognizing an orientation of at least one portion of said apparatus to facilitate eating of the served food in reduced-lighting, poorly lit or unlit environments.
 16. The separable two-piece food-serving apparatus of claim 1 wherein said tray, when separated from said lid, serves said item(s) of food on said tray and is positionable in a substantially single-handed manner to facilitate eating of the served food while the food is being transported.
 17. The separable two-piece food-serving apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a cost-saving dual-use food-serving apparatus functionality, wherein a.) a combination of said tray and said lid are provided to a user requiring a transporting of served food item(s) and b.) said tray without said lid is provided to a user not requiring a transporting of served food item(s), whereby the economic advantage of saving the cost of the lid in the latter case is provided.
 18. A method of assembling or re-assembling a separable two-piece food-serving apparatus comprising the steps of: a) positioning a portion of a partial-hinged apertured lid above a partial-hinged tabbed tray, b.) aligning a longitudinal axis of said lid along a longitudinal axis of said tray, c.) sliding said lid along a longitudinal axis until at least one outward extending tab partial-hinge of said tray engages at least one aperture partial-hinge of said apertured lid to form at least one complete hinge, and d.) rotating said lid at said at least one complete hinge such that an opposite end of said lid is rotated to a lowest position over said tray.
 19. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of: a.) vertically aligning said aperture(s) of said partial-hinged apertured lid with said tab(s) of said partial-hinged tabbed tray by sliding a lower edge of at least one lid side wall along a flat surface upon which said tray is resting, whereby the combination of the vertical aligning and longitudinal aligning provides a simultaneous two-axes alignment of the lid to the tray.
 20. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of: a) securing said lid to said tray by engaging at least one fastening means located proximate to an end of said apparatus opposite from said at least one complete hinge. 